SHARP AND STRONG >> GX FITNESS HOLD FOR OPERATION EFFECT Balance and Isometric Fitness By SSG KenKen andand StephanieStephanie WeichertWeichert Get ready for the 20-minute home workout! Q: How can I lose weight and get in better shape? A: You have to change your mind about the way you approach fi tness. Allow me to explain. We were in the gym, and I happened to overhear two women talking. As they alternated between bicep curls and bent-over rows, they discussed how to lose their PLAYBOOK NOTES: troublesome parts. I would venture to say that 99 percent of the population has these stubborn parts. We • Get plenty of sleep to be well-rested store it in our bellies, thighs, arms and rears. You, like most everyone else, gain it where for your new workout plan. you are genetically predisposed to carry it. Many people we talk to think that doing lots of • Drink water consistently all day long. sit-ups or leg lifts will do the trick. This will help you strengthen the area, but it won’t help • Add weekly workouts to your schedule. you lose the fat. What you will have is tight muscles under a layer of fat. • Add cardiovascular exercise to your In order to really lose the fat, you need to add a full-body weight training routine. Generally speaking, “cardio” program and cardiovascular exercise to your weekly routines. Consistency helps you lose fat, and weight training is the key. First, you need to fi gure out where you can fi t in 20–60 minutes helps you tone muscle. of you-time, three to fi ve days a week. It’s going to take commitment. If you are just beginning, start with one or two days a week. Take the slow climb to a healthier you. If you are already working out, step up the program and add on an additional day to your weekly calendar. Your new mantra is “consistency.” HOOAH! Stephanie 70 | GX VOL 5 : ISSUE 9 GGX_5-9_FS_fitPB.inddX_5-9_FS_fitPB.indd 7700 112/24/082/24/08 110:45:540:45:54 AAMM “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” —Dale Carnegie THETHEHE Determination is the wake-up BY NUMBERS call to the human will.” 1. PLANK HOLD 5. JUMP-UPS —Tony Robbins WARM-UP PHASE Start out by foam rolling tight be intense exercises as you are muscles and follow it up with a light warming up your body and getting 2. RUSSIAN TWIST stretch. Next, take a fi ve-minute all of your muscles, ligaments and walk or climb on a cardio machine tendons ready for more stress than and pedal, climb, walk or row for is usually placed on them during the 5–10 minutes. These shouldn’t day. Now, you are ready. 3. QUADRUPED EXTENSION MUSCLE TARGET PHASE: PLANK HOLD 6. PUSH-UP WITH ISOMETRIC HOLD 4. LUNGES Plank Hold ACTION: Maintain posture until 7. SHOULDER PUSH-UP PRIMARY MUSCLE GROUPS: your goal is reached. abdominals (core) Basic: Hold posture for 20 SECONDARY MUSCLE GROUPS: seconds. back and shoulders Intermediate: Hold posture for START: Assume a push-up position 30–45 seconds. with your hands slightly wider than Advanced: Hold posture for your shoulders. Bend your elbows 60–90 seconds. and balance your body on your Alternate Version: Lift one leg forearms. Your back should be approximately 6 inches off of the straight and your abs and rear end ground. Keep your body fl at as you should be tight. You should look lift your leg. Hold the posture for slightly forward in order to keep 30–60 seconds. Rest alternate your head in a neutral position. legs, if needed, and hold for an EVAN BAINES; SGT KEN ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF START FITNESS ® Breathe naturally. additional 30–60 seconds. WWW.GXONLINE.COM | 71 GGX_5-9_FS_fitPB.inddX_5-9_FS_fitPB.indd 7711 112/24/082/24/08 110:46:060:46:06 AAMM SHARP AND STRONG >> GX FITNESS RUSSIAN TWIST LUNGES Lunges start position. Continue with the PRIMARY MUSCLE GROUPS: same leg until your goal is reached. thighs Switch legs and repeat. Do not let SECONDARY MUSCLE GROUPS: your forward knee bend beyond Russian Twist do not lean back quite as far. Exhale rear end and calves your toe line. PRIMARY MUSCLE GROUPS: each time your elbow touches START: Place one leg in front and Basic: Perform 10 repetitions abdominals and sides of midsection the mat. Continue until your goal the other straight behind you with per leg. SECONDARY MUSCLE GROUPS: is reached. Twisting once in both your toes pointing forward. Your up- Intermediate: Perform 15–20 hip fl exors directions is one repetition. per body should maintain an upright repetitions per leg. START: Sit down on a mat with your Basic: Perform 15–20 repetitions. position with your shoulders lined Advanced: Perform 20–25 repeti- legs slightly bent at the knees. Put Intermediate: Perform 30 up over your hips. Maintain your bal- tions. Hold the “down” position your hands together, draw your navel repetitions. ance in the center, not leaning over for 5-10 seconds on the last in and lean back 45 degrees. Advanced: Perform 50 repetitions. the front leg. Position your arms at repetition. ACTION: Twist at your torso to one Extreme: Lift your feet slightly off your sides. Challenge: Perform 30–50 repeti- side and alternate to the other side. the ground while performing 50 ACTION: Lower your body by bend- tions. Hold the “down” position for If you feel discomfort in your back, repetitions. ing both legs at the knees until your 20 seconds on the last repetition. forward leg achieves 90 degrees Perform 10–20 pulsing lunges by of knee fl exion. Maintain your bal- raising your body 2–4 inches only QUADRUPED EXTENSION ance in the center. Return to the during each repetition. JUMP-UPS Quadruped Extension until your goal is reached. Maintain a Jump-ups over the toes. Make sure the knees PRIMARY MUSCLE GROUPS: neutral spine. PRIMARY MUSCLE GROUPS: do not buckle in before jumping or abdominals (core) Basic: Lift one limb at a time. For thighs and cardio upon landing. Step off the box and SECONDARY MUSCLE GROUPS: example, lift one leg, hold and set it SECONDARY MUSCLE GROUPS: repeat. Jump onto the platform as back and shoulders down. Lift the opposite arm, hold and rear end and calves soon as your feet reach the ground START: Balance your body on the set it down. Alternate 8–10 times. START: Stand in front of a step or for optimal cardio effect. ground with your hands and knees. Intermediate: Lift one arm and the platform that is 6–18 inches off the Basic: Jump up and down 10 times. ACTION: Draw your navel in and fl ex opposite leg simultaneously. Al- ground with feet shoulder-width Intermediate: Jump up and down the muscles in your rear end as you ternate 10 times and hold the “up” apart and pointed forward. 20 times. extend one arm and the opposite position for 5–10 seconds each. ACTION: Draw the navel in and jump Advanced: Jump up and down leg. Exhale as you extend out, and Advanced: Follow the intermediate up and land on top of the platform. 30–40 times. inhale as you return to the start directions for the exercise and hold Keep the toes pointed forward and Extreme: Jump up and down for position. Alternate sides. Continue 15–20 seconds each. knees slightly bent and aligned 60–90 seconds continuously. 72 | GX VOL 5 : ISSUE 9 GGX_5-9_FS_fitPB.inddX_5-9_FS_fitPB.indd 7722 112/24/082/24/08 110:46:160:46:16 AAMM “In the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” —Abraham Lincoln PUSH-UP WITH ISOMETRIC HOLD COOL-DOWN PHASE It is just as important to cool your body down as it is to warm Add this workout to your routine your body up. So get back on at least once a week. It should the cardio machine and row, take 10–20 minutes to complete, walk or climb for another 7–10 depending what fi tness level you minutes. You should slow down the pace during the choose. We recommend perform- last few minutes until your ing the exercises one right after heart rate begins to return to the other, with little or no break in normal. Cap off your workout between. If you have more time, by foam rolling and stretch- try repeating the program two or ing, focusing on the muscles three times to burn more calories. that you just worked. Push-up with Isometric Hold ing on your level of fi tness, balance Equipment Needed: PRIMARY MUSCLE GROUPS: on your knees or your feet. Step or Platform arms and chest ACTION: Lower your body by SECONDARY MUSCLE GROUPS: bending your elbows and hold the back and core position a few inches from the START: Assume a push-up position ground. Return to the start position with your hands slightly wider than when your goal is reached. Repeat. your shoulders and your fi ngers Basic: Perform 3–5 repetitions, STAMINA STOPWATCH pointed forward. Option: You may holding the “down” position for a balance your body on hand weights few seconds each. in order to alleviate wrist strain. Intermediate: Perform 8–10 repeti- 1 full set = approximately 10-20 minutes (depending on fi tness level) Your back should be straight and tions, holding the “down” position your abs and rear end should be for 5 seconds each. tight. Elongate your neck and look Advanced: Perform 15–20 repeti- slightly forward in order to keep your tions, holding the “down” position head in a neutral position.